Backfire
by The Volcanologist
Summary: New summary! Arthur and Merlin must travel to a new land, but they do not receive what they are after. Contains Merlin whump! No slash!
1. Prologue

**Backfire**

**Backfire**

**Prologue**

The stone walls glistened in the moonlight, showing the water's reflecting from the bowl. It was long after dusk, alerting the night animals to wake up where they took their roles of prey and predator. The wind was slow and light-hearted, picking up the odd autumn leave. The leaves swirled and danced, rattling and scurrying across the ground just outside the cave.

A fox cub pounced on a brown leaf. It fell to the ground, beneath the white-stocking paws making a soft crunching noise. This alerted his sister, who became curious and investigated the thing that was making the noise. Two black masked noses, rubbed against each other in greeting, before circling each other, signalling a battle of leap and yap. The game started, the cubs laughing in their own way, but it came to an abrupt end. A flash of electric purple landed just in front of the cubs, startling them. They jumped back, black eyes wide with fright, their mouths hanging open, as they panted from their game. Another flash of light hit their front paws, burning them ever so slightly making them howl and yap. They stumbled backwards in ecstasy, fearing for their lives as the lights gained on them. Two tall humans stepped out of the brush, annoyance and amusement painted on their faces as the two baby foxes scrambled out of the clearing.

"So what are you after then, young Prince?" A soft, female voice asked. The female looked up into the eyes of the other, a man, a tall man, his features shadowed by the night.

"I seek help from a magical being." The man with a rough voice replied.

"I have studied magic for many years, young prince, now what would do you request if I offer my service?" There was a pause, and the man stood up straighter, showing much more confidence. His stance stiffened and his hands clenched into fists, turning the flesh white. The man turned to look at the sorceress with stone cold, brown eyes.

"To kill the boy…Merlin!"

**Weee, the sequel came up fa****st didn't it? I got so bored when I was sleeping in my dad's house (it has no internet which equals no fanfiction, no!) So you will probably see 2 chapters up straight away. (depends how busy I get seen as I'm helping my Dad move house!) Do you like it**** so far?**


	2. Forget, Remember, Promise

Backfire Chapter 1

**Hey guys! It's Chapter 1 of the sequel! Who Is liking this story so far? (not much to get an idea from, but ya know haha!) It's hard writing this chapter as I'm still waiting for a plot to spring to mind, but never mind. I'll try not to make this story boring. Also summary might change. **

**Chapter 1: Forget, Remember, Promise**

"You know, Merlin, I thought that now I know you're a warlock that you'll actually start being on time for once…instead of laying in bed." Arthur said loud enough to wake the serving boy up. The Prince was finding it hard not to smirk at the sight of Merlin sprawled across his bed, his head touching the floor, as well as his hands. His mouth hung open as he snored, taking no notice of the Prince. Arthur rolled his eyes and jumped on the wooden floor.

"MERLIN WE'RE UNDER ATTACK!" He screamed. Merlin's eyes snapped open and he immediately began to struggle.

"What? Who is it? What is it? Can't they leave Camelot alone for five minutes?" Merlin ranted as he tried to sit up. His stunt ended up in an awkward back flip. Prince Arthur burst out laughing at the skinny man's position on the floor.

"What?" Merlin asked, his brow creasing into confusion.

"Now you are actually up can you please get ready and start on your chores? I need them done before noon too, I would like to go hunting. You might as well pack for an overnight trip, we wont make it back tonight." Merlin audibly groaned.

"I'm also sure a man of your talents can have my socks washed, armour polished, sword sharpened, my chambers tidied, boots polished and dinner ready all before noon Merlin. And that's just before you even get started on my stables. Oh, and don't forget to feed my dogs. Careful with them though, they're a bit grumpy at the moment so they wont resist an arm or a leg from you." Arthur smirked. Merlin's face dropped.

"Of course, my Pratness." Merlin smiled, rolling his eyes as he pulled his blue shirt over his head.

Noon came too fast for the young warlock, and he still had one chore to do. Arthur had came up to him half way during the morning to ask him to sort out a room on the west side of the castle. A very close friend of Camelot was going to be staying for one night and needed to have a room ready for their arrival.

Apparently the room was ready to be occupied, Merlin only had to make the room 'look nice'. The corridor was strangely familiar to Merlin as he walked down with a large basket of fruit to place on the table inside the room. The young warlock was straining to remember the last time he was in this corridor.

"Merlin, I would like to go hunting today, not next year." Arthur's voice bellowed down the quiet corridor. Merlin turned around, a cheeky grin plastered on his face.

"Of course my Pratness." Merlin smirked. Arthur rolled his eyes at his manservants antics and fell into step alongside Merlin.

"Is this your last chore?" Arthur asked.

"Since when do you care about what chores I have left?" Merlin mused, a grin pulling at his surprised face.

"Since…now. I really want to go hunting." Arthur moaned.

"You sound like a spoilt royal child." Merlin laughed as he opened the wooden door to the room he was meant to be organising.

Then Merlin stopped. He _knew _this room. He was vaguely aware of Arthur talking to him, who was telling him to hurry up. Merlin let out a half amused laugh. The mark of old blood on the white wall, it never managed to wash off.

"It's funny." Merlin started, as he continued to stare at the wall.

"What's funny? Have you listened to a word I've said?" The Prince replied, clearly confused.

"This all happened a year ago, in this very room." Merlin sighed, as he looked down at the floor.

"I'm sorry Merlin, I thought you were over it." Arthur sighed, putting a hand of comfort on his servants shoulder. Merlin immediately shrugged it off.

"I am. Time just seems to go...too fast." Merlin smiled weakly.

"Let's forget about the past events. You shouldn't remember things like this Merlin, don't let them hold you down. You've got to hold your head up high, smile that cheeky grin of yours and move on." Arthur smiled genuinely when Merlin laughed.

"Some things in life, Prince Arthur, you just can't forget. I'm sure there has been one time in your life where something has happened and you just can't forget it." Merlin smiled as he walked into the room, head held high.

_Of course I remember something terrible, Merlin, _Arthur thought, _You almost died because of a witch that threatened to put an end to your existence. And that's not the only time I will never forget. Remember when you pushed me out of the way for the Dorocha? __How could I ever forget that, when you almost died from the freezing cold Merlin. When you almost died from an enchanted Mortaeus flower? I could never forget those terrible events. You almost died. You're my closest friend, and I couldn't bare it if you weren't at my side, nagging me and calling me prat. It just wouldn't be the same. _Arthur hung by the door while Merlin finished preparing the room for the guest, smiling when Merlin bounced out of the room towards the stables.

_Some day Merlin, when I'm King, I'll repay the favour. You will stand by my side as my advisor. You will help me rule my kingdom and we will be known and loved for centuries to come. You just wait Merlin, just wait and you'll be free. That's a promise. _


	3. Surprise in the Night

**Backfire Chapter 2**

**Chapter 2: Surprise at Night**

"Can we stop yet?" A voice behind the prince groaned.

"No." Came the simple reply. The blond man was lucky not to have his annoying, irritating, mouthy servant, beside him now as he could not keep the big grin off his face.

"Why not, it's almost dusk. I can see mist clouds already." Merlin groaned, his horse trotting up to be along side his master.

"So?" Arthur smiled.

"So why can't we stop?" Merlin asked.

"Because, I said so and besides, there is nowhere to stop for another few hours. We haven't caught anything yet either." Arthur said, soon followed by a grunt of boredom.

Then there was silence, and Arthur just about hated it. After all, he was used to the rambling servant. So why wasn't he talking?

"Merlin, what is up with you today? You've been very silent." Arthur stated.

"I don't know." Merlin replied quietly.

"Come on Merlin, are you missing Gaius?" The Prince teased.

"No." The serving boy sniggered, but it only lasted a moment. "I don't know, something doesn't seem right."

"Nothing seems right around you, Merlin. What can you sense? Anything? Any…magical senses?" Arthur asked. Arthur was still getting used to the fact Merlin had magic, and he was more powerful than himself. Arthur watched as Merlin closed his eyes, he watched as his friends breathing slowed as he concentrated on the things surrounding them. Fifteen moments later, and Merlin re-opened his eyes. "Anything?" He asked again.

"No, nothing. I don't get it. I've never felt so…down before." Merlin said, pausing to find the right word.

"You'll feel better in the morning; it's probably one of those days. Um, Merlin?" Arthur asked, looking a bit ashamed. Merlin grinned his cheeky grin and smiled.

"Yes, my Pratness?" Merlin smiled.

"Do you know any places around here where we can rest?" Arthur smiled. Merlin laughed slightly before looking around the trees.

"Yeah, I know somewhere." Merlin smiled, pushing his horse off into a trot.

"Then wait for me!"

::

::

::

::

"We've been here before." Arthur stated.

"Thanks for pointing out the obvious." Merlin smiled cheekily as he rolled up his trouser legs, wading into the lake.

"You sure you wont catch a cold, Merlin?" Arthur asked, stepping closer to the shore line.

"No, I hardly get cold, plus I can just warm myself up, and you." Merlin smiled.

"Good." Arthur smiled, pushing Merlin right into the lake. Merlin spluttered and coughed as he rose up from the water.

"What was that for?" Merlin laughed, water running down his nose and dripping off his chin.

"For calling me thick!" Arthur laughed.

"You realise I can get you back for that?" Merlin smiled.

"Ah…yes." Arthur grinned. His serving boy didn't even say a word when his eyes lit up gold. The wind suddenly picked up and Arthur went flying, his stomach left back on the ground. He screamed a manly scream, hitting the water – head first- and coming up spluttering, just like Merlin.

"Three cheers for sweet revenge!" Merlin laughed.

"Yes… three cheers." Arthur laughed. "We better get out now and get dry. Gaius will be all over us tomorrow if we go back coughing and sneezing."

"You bet." Merlin sighed, dragging himself out of the water. Once Arthur and himself were back onto

dry land, Merlin used a spell that he had learnt not so long ago. This spell dried both of them, including their clothes and hair.

"If you can feed the horses, Merlin, I can find some wood." Arthur said, not waiting for an answer.

::

::  
>::<p>

_Merlin…_

He heard it. That voice. The sweet voice inside his head.

_Merlin…_

Merlin knew that voice, why wasn't he waking. It's just a dream! It's just a dream!

_Merlin…wake up! _

No! Not a dream!

Merlin snapped his eyes open and jerked forward. His breathing hitched, waiting for the next voice in his head. He noticed the fire still ablaze and a figure sat hunched over it.

"What is it this time Merlin? Did you have a nightmare?" Arthur mocked.

"Haha, funny." Merlin rolled his eyes. He stood up and began to pace, waiting for the voice.

"What's up you idiot? Stop pacing!"

"I heard…a voice." Merlin stopped and sat on a log.

"And? It was probably a dream." Arthur stated as he put another piece of wood on the fire.

_Merlin, come to the lake line. I need to speak to you. _

"Freya!" Merlin shouted with joy. He stood up now and sprinted to the lake line. He waded in, ignoring the shouts of irritation coming from Arthur.

_Merlin, I'm coming!_

Merlin waited, his legs freezing, almost ready to go numb in the night air. Out of the water, came the druid. She smiled, her red dress dripping water, her smile beautiful, sending Merlin awestruck.

"Merlin. I've missed you." She greeted, her pale hand reaching out and ghostly touching Merlin's pale cheek.

"I've missed you too." Merlin smiled, touching her cold skin.

"Merlin, I really haven't got long this time." Her face became sorrowful and full of hurt and worry- Merlin couldn't stand it.

"Freya? What's wrong?" Merlin asked, concern clear in his eyes. Splashing came from behind the couple and they both turned to see Arthur on his way over to them. Merlin turned back, not really bothered about Arthur right now.

"Arthur, I'm glad you are here, this concerns both of you, but more of Merlin." Freya smiled.

"What is it?" Arthur asked softly.

"Soon you will come across three people of the past, they aren't good people Merlin. You have to beware because when the storm comes, that's when they arrive. Don't trust them, don't do as they say, but be careful! Arthur, you must look after him for me." Freya turned to the Prince, trust and plead shown in her eyes.

"Of course, anything for you. Who are these three people, Freya?" Arthur asked.

"They are…" Freya started, but water began to rise, turning her body see-through.

"Freya!" Merlin's broken voice called out. However, Freya had already gone. Arthur sighed and patted Merlin's shoulder.

"Come on, let's get dry and get some more sleep." Arthur smiled sympathetically. Merlin nodded, and Arthur turned and started making his way back to shore. Merlin turned to follow, but froze.

_Goodbye Merlin… _The soft voice whispered in his head. Merlin's head jolted up and he smiled.

"Goodbye Freya." He whispered as he made his way to shore.

**Hello! Sorry for the long wait. I will update every Sunday as normal however every two weeks starting from today, it may get a little late as I go to my Dad's and he does not have any internet (how painful?)**

**GUESS WHAT? Tough I'm telling you anyway**

**I have a plot *dances happily* for this story eventually and it's the most awesome plot EVER! You will never guess what it is! And I am not going to tell either, it's a surprise! Anyway, go ahead and review, have I got you hanging now? :D**


	4. Thule

**Backfire Chapter 3**

**Backfire** **Chapter 3: ****Thule**

"It's great to see you back, Merlin." The fifth servant of the morning chanted, her eyes soft and shy. Arthur smirked, watching Merlin blush furiously and return their comments back with a thanks. There was no way in this century that Arthur was going to let Merlin live this down.

Soon they reached Arthur's room. It was still looking in the same way as Merlin had left it...tidy. That was until Arthur began wandering the room, throwing his bags around, his armour dumped on the floor, his cloak lying untidy on his desk. His sword was thrown onto his bed before he wandered around to stand behind the changing screen.  
>"Pick something out of the wardrobe please, Merlin?" Arthur groaned through a stretch. Merlin rolled his eyes and picked out Arthur's favourite red tunic and brown trousers. Smiling, Merlin through them over the top of the screen.<p>

"Thanks Merlin!" Arthur called out, throwing his discarded clothes over the screen.

"You can't keep tidy for five minutes can you?" Merlin laughed as he walked around with a washing basket, filling it to the top.

"Yes, I can, this room _is _tidy." Arthur said, peeking his head around the corner of the changing screen.

"No it isn't." Merlin laughed.

"Fine then; tidy my room. I want the washing taken to the laundry maids, I want my armour polished, my sword sharpened, I want my cloak wiped down and then I want my lunch. Do I make myself clear?" Arthur smiled mischievously.

"Crystal Clear, clotpole." Merlin sniggered, running from the room with the laundry basket, narrowly missing the goblet thrown.

_Bang. Bang. Bang. _You would think that Merlin was used to it by now. The clanging of hammer against Metal, getting all the unwanted dents out. In a way he was used to it, all he had to do was summon his magic to all his chores. Right now, sitting in his room on his bed, he was currently engrossed in a new spell he was suddenly wanted to try;

_The spell of Forg__etting. __Beware: __this spell must be used with caution. _

Forlēosan gemynd

_This spell can make you lose your memory, no matter what has happened. However, first time using it can lead to remembering months after events have happened. If this happens, take a sleeping draught. _

Merlin smiled, that actually might become useful one day. He turned the page again, just before he set the sword to sharpen again. He flinched at first at the sound of stone _scraping _against stone. Then another spell caught his eye. A new spell that he didn't notice before. He began to read it and his eyes widened in wonder.

_He could bring the sun into his room!_

Merlin wanted to try it. He was going to try it. He stood up and focused his hands towards the small window. He needed a bigger window. He glanced down at the book and…

**ARTHUR**

"Gaius? Have you seen Merlin?" Arthur asked as he strode into the physician's chambers. His eyes immediately scanned the room. It had no colour, and Gaius was very hard to spot in the mess of it all. As soon as his words left his mouth, a head popped up from a book that the old man was reading.

"Yes, he is in his room, but I suggest not to go in there just yet." Gaius smirked. Arthur frowned and crossed the room to sit in front of Gaius.

"Why ever not?" Arthur asked before gaining a look off Gaius. "What's he doing?"

"He's doing your list of chores as well as reading his book." Gaius replied, turning back to mark his page in his book.

"I can tell he's doing his chores." Arthur laughed as he listened to the clanging of metal against metal and scraping of stone. Then suddenly it all stopped.

The light of the earth disappeared. It was just dark. _Hang on, _thought Arthur, _it was only midday. _Then, an exploding white light came from Merlin's room.

"_HOT__!" _Came a loud shout.

"_HOT! Hot! Hot! Hot!" _Arthur could barely hold back his laughter.

"What's that clumsy boy done now?" Gaius moaned as he stood up and walked to his table. Arthur stood up also and began to walk towards Merlin's room. However, Merlin beat him to it and came stumbling down his steps, rubbing sore eyes, his skin a little black with…was that smoke?

"You have been suspected of sorcery." Arthur said, in a serious, but playful tone. Merlin slipped and fell to the ground and looked up at Arthur.

"Have I?" He laughed.

"What did you do this time?" Gaius asked.

"I put the sun in my room." Merlin said sheepishly.

"Well go put it back in the sky before we all die in the dark!" Gaius said, his voice raising a little. Merlin didn't even back answer, but ran back into his room, braving the heat of the light. Once Merlin's door shut, the loud moans came back and Gaius burst out laughing.

"He's stupid, he is." Gaius laughed, turning to look at a bookshelf. Moments later and the darkness in the room vanished and light flooded through again. Arthur let out a sigh of relief. He hoped for Merlin's sake that no one noticed it.

"There we go, done." Merlin smiled, coming out of his chamber.

"Good, because when the King asks how the sun got into you're room, you're going to be the one explaining to him how it happened." Arthur smirked, making Merlin frown.

"The King's coming?" Merlin asked.

"No, but we have a meeting to attend." Arthur said, standing up to walk out of the room. The Prince paused when he realised a certain someone wasn't following.

"Are you not coming?" Arthur asked, turning to face a very pale Merlin. "What is it now, Merlin?"

"I just turned the sun out. Everyone would have noticed." Merlin said, his hands beginning to shake. "D-Do I have to go?"

"Yes. You do. Now come on, I'm you can come up with an awfully good story to hide yourself from harm." Arthur smirked, walking out of the physician's room.

**MERLIN**

"It has come to the courts' intentions that there was a sorcerer at work at midday today." Uther mused, sitting tall and proud on his throne. Merlin tried not to break any barriers, to show him up, to show the King that it was him, the '_sorcerer_' that had stolen the sun. Uther's eyes crossed every emotionless face in the room, before they landed on Merlin's. "The sun was stolen, and placed somewhere else." Uther stated, getting up from his throne and walking towards Merlin. "Tell me boy, how did the sun end up in your room?" That's it, Merlin was done for now.

"I don't know sire, I was in my room fixing your sons' armour. It was my last chore to do for the morning and it just went dark. I didn't know what had happened- honest! Then my room became too bright, I closed my eyes and it felt like I was in the core of the sun itself! I don't know what happened!" Uther's stone cold gaze stared at him hard, as if searching for any cracks in the barriers all around Merlin.

"Search the boy's chambers. Until you are found free or guilty of using magic, you will be kept in the dungeons." Merlin's eyes widened.

"Please, no! I didn't do anything!" Merlin cried out, struggling to keep his arms away from the guard's powerful grip.

"_Merlin!_" Came Arthur's voice. Merlin looked at Arthur and saw the words etched on his face: _Just go. _So Merlin complied, allowing himself to be taken to the dungeons.

An hour passed in the cell. Alone. Merlin hated it, he hated being alone. He had been alone all the way through his life, with only his mother and his best friend…Will who had stuck beside him no matter what the cost, no matter how dangerous life around Merlin could be. He had been alone every since he came to Camelot, limiting how much of his true life he could tell people, not of his magic, because of the ban. He was alone when Will died, saving Arthur, saving his destiny. He felt alone when Morgana found out the truth, she was a seer. He couldn't even _tell_ her he was magic. Then destiny re-appeared twice again. It killed his love, Freya, sweet Freya. It killed his father, the man he only knew for a night.

The loneliness lifted when Arthur found out about his magic. It was if he felt a weight being lifted. He could _breathe_. Around Arthur, he could be himself, his true self. He could show magic, he could _do _magic. Merlin had never felt more alive. Arthur could take some of the weight. They could complete their destiny together. They would.

_Click. Click. Squeak. _The metal gate opened and someone stepped in. Merlin didn't smile, he recognised those boots. He could recognise them any day. After all, he polished them.

"You're free to go." Came the words Merlin had been expecting. Merlin paused, before standing up and glanced at Arthur, who smiled at his friend. Merlin smiled back.

"Why can't you get over the fact that I _don't _have magic?" Merlin bantered.

"Because, it's idiotic, all the things that seem to appear or disappear around you, Merlin." Arthur smiled. Then the smile fell.

"What?" Merlin asked when he noticed the look. Arthur looked up at Merlin.

"I have been sent by my Father to sign a peace treaty." Arthur said as they walked out of the dungeons, into daylight.

"Why? Could Camelot be going into war?" Merlin asked, genuinely worried.

"No, but we're going to a Kingdom in the North, at the top of the land. However, we cannot go through most of the kingdoms that block us from there, so we must go by boat." Arthur explained.

"What is this Kingdom called?" Merlin asked. Arthur turned to look at Merlin, a look of sorrow on his face.

"Thule."

**There you go, your chapter becomes early this week. I thoroughly enjoyed writing this**** one, that is why it is so long! I can't promise but I will try to get a chapter up on Sunday night (and I will try to spooky it up all for Halloween as well as write an awesome horror story all to do with Merlin)! I ****might base it around my dream I had a few nights ago too. It was awesome! I might, and just not include myself. Just tell me what you think of this idea when you review and I will begin to to write it. The story will be up on Halloween! Thanks to all the reviews and alerting and favourites, it means so much! I hope you liked this chapter. I added humour/angst/hurt and comfort in it just for you! Enjoy!**


	5. Patience

**Backfire Chapter 4**

**Chapter 4: Patience**

**MERLIN**

"So what is so bad about Thule?" Merlin asked as they rode south east.

"Not now, Merlin. I promise you I will tell you later, but not now." Arthur plainly said. They had been riding since dawn. Merlin was confused; they were going completely the wrong way and no one was saying a thing. Nothing made sense anymore. However, it wasn't even midday yet, but they weren't supposed to reach their destination before tomorrow- at a push, tonight.

"Does everyone else know where we are going?" Merlin asked after a long moments silence.

"I'm afraid so, Merlin." Gwaine replied, a look of apology on his face.

"Do you also know what's wrong with Thule?" Merlin replied, already predicting the next answer.

"Some of us know more than others, my friend. You are not the only one left in the dark." Gwaine answered back. Merlin scowled, but kept quiet. One way or another, he would find out what was wrong with the land.

**ARTHUR**

Arthur really felt sorry for his servant. He really wanted to tell Merlin what was so bad about Thule, but he couldn't. It wasn't the right time. The warlock was now quiet. He wasn't talking as much as he normally would, now adding the 'Yes sire' and the 'do it yourself you prat'.

When they reached their destination, Merlin looked more confused than ever. He wouldn't talk at all now. As they walked into the inn, Arthur began giving the orders.

"Right; Leon and Elyan go in one room, Gwaine and Percival in another. Merlin you stay with me. Get sorted out and be down here before nightfall." Arthur stated. Everyone complied, heading to their allocated rooms.

"Are you okay, Merlin?" Arthur asked as they entered their room.

"Why won't anyone tell me anything? Why am I the only one left in the dark?" Merlin asked, lighting all the candles in the room with a wave of his hand.

"We will tell you once everyone is settled on this quest." Arthur told him. The warlock felt his patience grow thin. He took a deep breath and turned around. Now he was prepared to wait a while.

: Time Break :

**MERLIN**

"We're at a dock." Arthur's manservant stated as he walked along side all the wooden ships.

"Thanks for pointing out the obvious, Merlin." The crowned Prince of Camelot smirked.

"Why are we at a dock? Isn't Thule north, not south?" Merlin asked.

"Yes, but we have to go the long way around." Leon smiled sadly.

"And you are not going to tell me why?" Merlin asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No, we're not. Not yet." Arthur smirked, fully aware of the anger growing inside of the warlock. Arthur and the knights stopped beside a tall, wooden ship. The Pendragon Crest fluttered gently in the morning breeze, lifting the sail, showing the whole dock where the royal boat was.

"Right everyone on the boat, including you, _Mer_lin." The warlock rolled his eyes, climbing up onto the boat and waiting on the deck for the rest of the people.

"Can you even work this thing?" Merlin asked out of curiosity. Arthur clambered up the ladders and stood next to Merlin.

"Of course I can. My father taught me when I was just a boy, in case he was needed to do something else. Only royalty can drive this beauty. Well, only Pendragon royalty." Merlin nodded, understanding where Arthur was going.

"Merlin, go and make yourself useful. Go and untie the boat from the dock." Arthur ordered. Merlin nodded and went and jumped back onto the harbour. He sighed as he unravelled the rope. _It's going to be a long three days. _

**Hi guys, sorry for a short late post. My laptop has gone in for repair and I'm working from a memory stick from a crap computer. I know this chapter is crap and boring too, but I'm thinking of what to write all the time. Just bare with me yeah? Well, here it is. Enjoy. **


	6. Sea Sick

**Backfire Chapter 5**

**Backfire Chapter 5: Sea Sick. **

**Hey guys, sorry it's late. My laptop went in for repair. So you are probably bored now (I am too) and you probably want some Merlin whump. mmhmm. So, I'm going to surprise you and myself with some MERLIN WHUMP! Yay! Anyway, on with the fic!**

**Morgause**

High heels echoed the sound against stone. A red, flowing dress scraped the ground, the wind picking it up, letting it defy gravity. The blonde-haired woman had a meeting. The person was not important- not to her anyway. However, he wanted what she wanted and that made things simpler. This man was a sorcerer, a sorcerer with royal blood, but a fool. He had known many ways of torture; most were the best of the best.

"Ah, Morgause, you are here at last!" A rough, cold voice drifted through the barely lit cave.

"I never fail to appear, Prince Stephen. Now, tell me, what are you after?" Morgause questioned. Her voice was misty and eerie, sending a wave of fear down the man's spine.

"I want you to help me defeat someone." The Prince stated.

"Just to defeat? Or kill for the sake of killing?" Morgause played. The man snarled at her.

"His dragon burned down my castle, my home. I want revenge."

"Who is it you are after?"

"The boy, _Merlin." _The name was said with such hate, so much disgust, Morgause searched deeper inside the man, searched long into his soul, only finding hard and cold.

"So he's a Dragonlord?" The witch smiled. This could be an interesting outcome for not just the Prince and herself, but all of magical beings. With a said spell, a bubble rose up from a waterskin, growing bigger until you could see through it. With a whisper of another spell, Prince Stephen of the North East watched a boat swaying on a clam see come into view.

"Why is there a boat?" He asked. Morgause rolled her eyes and pointed her head at the bubble.

"You fool, just watch." She said. The picture changed, showing a servant- the bloody servant Stephan was after- come into view.

"That's him! That's the boy!" He shouted, venom-like spit flying from his mouth. Morgause smirked across to the man.

"Of course it is, and we are going to make his trip a living hell."

"And how are we to do that?" Prince Stephen asked. Morgause's look changed from a smirk to a face of thought. After ten moments of thinking, she smiled a cold smile, waving her hand slowly across the surface of the bubble.

"First, we make his small trip across the sea a one he will _never _forget."

**Arthur**

"Merlin, grab the west sail and pull it tight!" Arthur shouted.

"Yes Arthur!" Merlin called out, running over to do his job.

"Sir Leon, grab the eat sail and loosen it!" Arthur called again.

"Yes, sire!" Came the reply. The small group had been out on the boat for a day now. It had been very busy but they had gained a lot of time and speed from the experience. At the most- it would take two more moons before they reached their destination. The sun was just beginning to beginning to set over the horizon.

"Alright; lower the anchor Percival. We've all done great today. I'm impressed with you all." Arthur nodded once, letting the others finish their tasks.

It was twilight when Arthur finally found Merlin. He strolled up his servant, who was leaning on the railing at the back of the ship.

"What are you doing out here, idiot warlock?" Arthur asked with a smirk. Merlin cracked a smile.

"An idiot, eh?" Merlin laughed.

"Well an idiot warlock is hard to come by." Arthur smiled. Merlin laughed again, but this time the laughter died.

"What's wrong?" The Prince asked. The warlock's smile fell apart altogether at those two words.

"Nothing is wrong." Merlin said- any emotion on his face, in his eyes was now vacant.

"Is it to do with no one telling you what's happening?" The Prince asked.

"Yes, mostly." Merlin admitted.

"We _are _going to tell you, just not yet." Arthur said.

"As you keep saying." Merlin muttered.

"We will! It's just not safe telling you!" The prince said.

"But it's safer not telling me? I could be walking into a kingdom that is ready to kill an innocent looking servant like me!" Merlin ranted. Arthur sighed.

"Of course, Merlin, you are right. I'm sorry, I will tell you tomorrow. I'll tell you everything. No one should be left in the dark." Arthur smiled, relieved to watch Merlin nod his head in acceptance.

"So what else is it?" Arthur smirked. "Are you missing Gaius?" Merlin laughed, his eyes lighting up again.  
>"No, I'm not missing Gaius. It's my first time out at sea. I'm just getting used to it." Merlin smiled.<p>

"Is it really? You wouldn't think it. You are quite good out on deck." Arthur smiled in amazement. Merlin was still smiling. The servant stopped leaning on the wooden railing and turned to face Arthur.

"This trip won't take long Merlin. At the most, three days in Thule and then back to Camelot, won't be long." Arthur explained. Merlin only nodded.

"You are too loyal Merlin." Arthur mused.

"Surely that's a good thing, right?" Merlin laughed.

"Of course is, you show as much loyalty as a knight, but you shouldn't." Arthur said.

"Why can't I?" Merlin frowned. "You can't tell someone to stop being as loyal as a knight. There will be others, even more loyal than myself, more loyal then any knight, court advisor and so on."

"No Merlin- you are wrong. No one can be as loyal as you. For that reason I am glad to call you a friend." Merlin laughed a heart-filled laugh.

"I'd say the same about you." Merlin smiled.

"I would hope so. You are the closest idiot-warlock-friend I have." The Prince grinned.

"Hey!" Merlin laughed, nudging Arthur. Arthur laughed and nudged Merlin back-who fell onto the rails- laughing even harder.

"Come on, we better get into the cabin before the storm arrives." Arthur smiled. Merlin agreed and stood up to follow. The prince turned his back on Merlin to walk up the ladders, when a struggling gasp sounded behind him. A soft thud followed, and Arthur did not hesitate to turn around.

"Merlin!" He shouted in horror. Camelot's prince leapt forward to examine his friend. There were no wounds on his arms, his legs, and his chest. However, he noticed something dark behind the neckerchief. Arthur gently worked the neckerchief off his friend to find a bruise mark circling his neck. It wasn't hand printed, but it looked like a rope…or another piece of material had done it. Had Merlin tried to strangle himself?

"Someone help me!" Arthur cried out, just as the rain started to fall. Thunder rumbled in the distance and the waves picked up, getting higher, rocking the boat. Arthur picked up the ever-so light servant. He made a promise to feed Merlin up- to get some weight on his body. Multiple footsteps sounded on the wooden deck and Gwaine's head appeared above him.

"What is it?" The knight asked.

"Get Merlin." Arthur ordered, lifting his servant into his knight's arms.

"What happened?" Percival asked.

"I don't know! He collapsed. It looks like he's been strangled." Arthur all but yelled. "Get him into my cabin."

**Here we go. Here is chapter 5. Sorry it is a week late, but my laptop has been funny all week and I have been busy with school work. I promise everything will go back to normal (as normal can go) from now. Chapter 6 will be up next Sunday night with more whump. Did you like this one? And we will also hear from Merlin's point of view from his little incident. Review please!**


	7. Untold Story

**Backfire ****Chapter 6**

**Backfire**

**Chapter 6: Untold story**

**MERLIN**

"It was like my neckerchief came alive. I could feel it wrapping itself around my neck. I-I couldn't breathe. My lungs were burning. It was like I was on a pyre, or I was drowning, the water burning me. I felt myself collapse, like gravity decided to fail me." Merlin whispered hoarsely. The knights and prince gathered around the bed-Arthur's bed- to hear what had actually happened to Merlin.

"Well we are all glad you are alright. You gave us all a scare. Including princess over there, he was most scared for you." Gwaine smirked, patting Merlin's arm.

"How long have I been out?" Merlin asked, looking around the dark room.

"All night, it looked like you had a really high fever though. It died down in the early hours of this morning. Arthur and Gwaine were looking after you all night." Leon replied. Merlin only nodded.

"Thank you, for looking after me." Merlin mumbled.

"It's nothing when we're helping a friend." Gwaine smiled.

"I think we should leave Merlin alone now to rest." Elyan suggested. Everyone reluctantly agreed, trudging from the room.

Arthur stayed seated, and Merlin watched him from the corner of his eye. He fiddled with the bed sheets, picking them up and twisting them in his hands before letting it fall.

"Someone knows I'm here. Someone is after me." Merlin shuddered.

"How do you know that?" Arthur asked, leaning forward in his seat.

"Things like my neckerchief wrapping around my throat and my lungs burning don't just happen naturally. Someone either casts a spell or someone does it with their hands. No one was there throttling me, so someone-with magic- is after me, and I haven't got a clue why." Merlin rambled.

"Are you feeling okay?" Arthur asked in a serious tone, Merlin knew that he meant no harm.

"I'm fine." His servant responded. Arthur nodded and stood up.

"Get some rest." His prince said before he left the cabin.

() () ()

**MORGAUSE**

"He is nearing Thule, my Lady." Stephen's half excited voice sounded through the palace they had just invaded. Many dark beasts had turned with Morgause and Prince Stephen to help invade the mythical land. Thule was important to them- it was part of their plan.

"I can feel his magic drawing near." Morgause commented.

"So what are we going to do?" The man's voice asked, drawing near to Morgause.

"So eager, Prince Stephen, be patient." Morgause smirked.

"I demand you to do something, _now._" The man snarled.

"I would watch your mouth, if I were you." The blonde sorcerer snarled back.

"Then do something to the pathetic servant." Stephen's anger was rising, and so was Morgause's.

"_Very well _Stephen. I will do something to the boy. Prepare the dungeons with chains and anything you would like to use. Preferably, the most painful weapons you have. The boy will be here when the day ends."

**ARTHUR**

Arthur was surprised to see Merlin out of bed at noon. He had found the boy on the top deck, watching the waves lap at the wood, chasing the boat.

"Feeling better?" Arthur asked. Merlin turned around to look at Arthur and smiled.

"Yeah, much better thank you very much." The serving boy said before turning back to face the waves. "How long do we have left to go?"

"If we stop now and rest until first light tomorrow, we can be there on the shore by noon tomorrow." The prince said, looking over the horizon. From the corner of his eye, he could see Merlin open his mouth but quickly close it again. Arthur _knew _what Merlin was debating about.

"Merlin, before you lose your mind, I will tell you about Thule, but it will be later when I tell you. We have so much to get through right now if we want to be there by tomorrow." Arthur said, before walking off to the wheel of the ship. The prince watched the waters glisten gold, and how the knights and servant below him all done their part working on the ship, and he smiled. These people, on the boat where the people who he trusted the most, they were all his friends. Not that he would tell them that. They were his closest friends, his _only _friends, but Merlin was the only one that stood out from the rest. From day one he would be there, being cheeky. Arthur promised to himself that he would stand by Merlin as Merlin stood by him, always protecting him.

Suddenly, Arthur spotted something from the corner of his eyes. Merlin was _fading_. Yes, Merlin was fading.

"Merlin!" Immediately abandoning his post, Arthur rushed to Merlin. Merlin was looking confused as well as scared. The knights had stopped and watched as Merlin disappeared. "Merlin!" Arthur shouted again.

**MERLIN**

Merlin woke up with a gasp. How long had he been out? Where was he? It was inside of a dungeon. His neck had a collar like metal band around it, and two chained cuffs were on his wrists. It was very uncomfortable. The cuffs were chained to a wall, and it felt like his neck was about to break off. It was too tight. Merlin sat up as best as he could and tucked his legs up to his chest. Where ever he was, he knew that Arthur would come and get him. However long it took him, Arthur would come.

**There you go guys. I'm so sorry it's late. Bloody school mock exams are horrible and I been revising and so much homework to do! It's unbelievable! Anyway, here you are. I'm very sorry it's so short, but next time (hopefully Sunday) will have much more.**

**And I must credit an idea to my friend of DeviantArt for letting me use her canvas painting of Merlin and Arthur as inspiration for the coming chapters!**


	8. Told Story

**Backfire**__**Chapter 7: Told Story**

**Backfire**

**Chapter 7: Told Story**

**ARTHUR**

Merlin's disappeared! The bloody idiot has disappeared! Arthur was basically…full of hell. He knew it wasn't Merlin's fault he was kidnapped. But how did he know that his servant had been kidnapped? That question was easily answered; because people don't disappear into thin air! The prince looked up, across the waters. The sun was just beginning to rise over the sea level.

"Alright men, we can get to Thule by midmorning if we go at full speed. We will make that a deadline. Merlin will be found and we will not be leaving him behind. Get to your posts and work until your fingers go numb." Arthur ordered his knights.

"Sire, with all respect, Merlin is only a servant. I know he is a friend of ours but…" Sir Leon started but he was immediately interrupted.

"Friend or servant, Merlin is an innocent man and very important to all of us. We will not let him down. I promised him something yesterday evening and he vanished before I could even turn that promise into something real. Now do as I say and get to work." Arthur growled with impatience.

"As you wish, Sire." Leon bowed before leaving to turn to his post.

"Let's move out!"

**MERLIN**

When Merlin woke up, the second time, his head was sore. He has no memory of the previous events. How long had he been here? Where was Arthur? Why were there chains around his neck and wrists? The one around his neck was strangling him. The ones on his wrists were irritating his skin…just as much as the thought of someone kidnapping him. Who was so interested in him this time?

Suddenly a candle lit up. Heels on stone clipped and clopped against the cobbled stone. Merlin felt his gut twist with nerves. The magic from the stranger flowed with uneasiness, but it was dark and chilling. It wasn't the type of magic that was light and relaxing… like Freya's magic or his father's magic. This magic was familiar to him and it sent waves of both anger and fear down his spine.

"Well, we meet again, _Merlin_." A sweet but misty voice drifted through the barely lit cell. Merlin held his breath, his anger filling through his body, overtaking the fear and any other emotion that tried to cross. "But you are not just a normal _Merlin_, are you? No, you're not. In fact, a little birdie told me that you are indeed a powerful _Dragonlord_." The voice hummed. Keys twisted and jingled in the metal lock and the gate noisily swung open. The heels trotted inside, and the gate stood open. The warlock made no move to get up.

"Well, if it isn't _Morgause_. What a pleasure to see you again." Merlin's dark but sarcastic voice was low and warning. His voice was filled with hidden questions, and he was sure Morgause, his kidnapper had sensed it. Of course, he wouldn't be asking questions, not now. It would please the witch.

"While you are here, Dragonlord, you will abide my orders. Stand up." Morgause said her chilling voice more on edge. Merlin made no move to obey. "I said _stand up_!"

"You forget, I'm a Dragonlord, I don't have to do as you say." Merlin laughed, but the laugh was empty.

"Oh, but you will find you will… because if you don't, you will have to bear the _consequences _that face you. So stand up."

"No. I don't want to. Leave me alone and get out of my sight." Merlin growled impatiently.

"But don't you want to hear the story, the story of Thule? The story that you prince didn't tell you, and when he was going to you, you disappeared. It was a bit rude, wasn't it?" This had Merlin interested.

"What is so bad about Thule?" Merlin inquired. His curiosity had the better of him and he didn't like it.

"All you have to do is follow my orders and you will get that story."

"Some catch that is." Merlin muttered.

"Then I will leave you to my ally in this…quest." Morgause smirked.

"What quest would this might be?" Merlin asked with no amusement in his voice.

"The quest is to take the powers of the last Dragonlord, to wield the powers and take and destroy kingdoms, far and wide."

**ARTHUR**

"This way!" Arthur called as he walked through the forest. His knights tagged along behind him in silence. It was horrible. Merlin wasn't here to talk, to banter with him.

"Are you sure? We've been going this way for a while." Gwaine protested.

"Gwaine shut up or be useful and go to a tavern." Arthur muttered.

"Actually, that wouldn't do him or us any good. He'd be passed out or in a fight, but he's right; how do you know Merlin is this way?" Percival asked.

"I just have a feeling." Arthur said quietly as they descended into a camp.

The five men walked together as they passed through the camp, only finding something odd about the whole thing. This seemed to be a whole village. A child ran around the campfire, noticing the five rich strangers and froze. Arthur froze, keeping eye contact with the boy, before the toddler ran off screaming for his mother. He didn't get very far before he stumbled over, grazing his knee on rock. His shocked voice hitched as he drew his leg up to look at it, and his lower lip began to tremble.

"M-Mommy." His small voice quivered. Looking around, there was no one around to help. They were all inside their makeshift tents…why were they travelling?

Percival walked forward and crouched by the boy, rubbing the thin leg making the boy laugh. Percival smirked and looked at the boy.

"What's your name?" Percival asked in his soft voice.

"Dylan." The boy replied.

"Well Dylan, where is your mother? Is she still here?" The boy nodded and pointed to a tent, where the flaps of the tent were already fluttering open.

"Dylan? My son, are you alright?" The mother asked, coming over and taking her son in her arms.

"Mother, there are strange men in the camp." The boy said. The woman looked up and gasped.

"Prince Arthur!" She bowed deeply.

"Yes, hello, please don't do that. We were just passing through, please don't mind us. We don't mean to disturb you." Arthur said, allowing the woman to rise.

"It's fine your highness." She smiled sweetly.

"If I may ask, is this your whole village?" Arthur asked.

"It is, yes." Arthur was stunned. He had never once experienced a whole village moving together at this time in the year.

"May I ask why you are in the woods?" Arthur asked.

"We were driven out of our home village near the castle of Thule. Most of the villages were. The King was murdered, sire, murdered. The whole kingdom is under a new rule and it isn't good. We don't know what's happening. We're all scared, scared for what is coming. The new King and Queen are s-sorcerers sire. Even though Thule is a magical land, the new rulers are dark and we don't think they mean well." The woman said.

"May I take your name?" Arthur asked.

"Emily, sire." The pretty woman replied.

"Thank you Emily. I will see to it that I see the new rulers of Thule and try my best to help the citizens of the land." Arthur smiled warmly.

"Thank you, sire! It means a lot to us." Emily beamed.

**MERLIN**

Merlin was roughly thrown down. He couldn't see. He was blinded by his on neckerchief and he could only see the floor if he looked down. The gag in his mouth was revolting, tasting of ale and sweat. He coughed slightly and rubbed his wrists together, the rope irritating his skin. His head was killing him, pain throbbing through his forehead like lightning bolts hitting a tree. His knee caps hurt from landing on them roughly, they will definitely bruise.

The gag was pulled roughly from his mouth and his neckerchief was dragged down over the metal collar around his neck. The chains jingled as he tried to move his wrists, and he looked up into the eyes of one familiar face and he snarled.

"Stephen." He growled, earning a slap to the face.

"You will not talk to your king until I tell you to. Didn't you learn anything from last time?" Stephen snarled back.

"Stephen, let's not torture our victim just yet." The misty voice sounded again.

"Of course, my lady." Stephen looked reluctant to be saying that. The 'King' moved away and sat down on a throne next to Morgause.

"So, Merlin, I bet you are wondering why you are here, in the throne room." Morgause mused. Merlin didn't say a thing. "Well I'll tell you anyway. Arthur didn't give his promise. You're in Thule now and he didn't tell you what was wrong with Thule. Should I tell you a story in one sentence?" Merlin wanted to shout at her, tell her no, but his curiosity was getting the better of him. He felt sick to the stomach, but he stayed silent.

"Thule is a curse, a curse to those born with magic." Merlin's eyes flew wide, but didn't say anything.

"How do they become cursed?" Merlin asked, trying to sound uninterested.

"If their magic was to be locked up inside of them, it can cause lots of harm. Should we put it to the test?" Morgause smirked.

"Of course we will be using you first. You will be at our command and you will do as we say, otherwise you will become the living curse…_Emrys_."

**It's actually on time this week. I really enjoyed writing this chapter. Yes the curse is rubbish, I just couldn't think of anything, so please review! Next chapter is Sunday!**


	9. Backfire

**Backfire Chapter 8**

**Chapter 8: Backfire**

**Here we are guys and girls. Enjoy this chapter. And no, I haven't mistaken the name of the chapter :D it just seems to fit :D**

**MERLIN**

Everything was backfiring, and Merlin hated it. Every day for the past three days, he was dragged from the very last cell in the dungeons, up into a throne room- but it didn't exactly look like a throne room. It had one wooden chair, with a red banner draped over the back of it. To be honest, it looked quite funny.

Once he was placed in the throne room, it would be the same drill. He would be tied up in chains on a post- a whipping post, with him facing Morgause and the sick man- _Stephen, _while questions were thrown at him left, right and centre. Of course, the warlock did not answer any of them. Each question he refused to answer, he received a blow to his stomach, or a backhanded slap across his face. It wasn't that bad; he had experienced worse.

As he was pulled along the corridor for the second time that day, Merlin began to feel his nerves kicking in. Never had be before, been inside the throne room twice in one day. He was dreading what was to come. Magical chains had now been attached to his wrists and ankles, and they itched like crazy. The metal cuffs irritated his skin, making it raw red and begin to bleed.

As the doors of the throne room opened, Merlin was thrown inside. He slid across the wooden floor, his knees burning when the material on his pants ripped. Pain was very little but it _stung._ It was dark. The room was barely lit with flaming torches, and that made everything worse. There was no one here, no one he could spot as he looked around. The gag in his mouth stopped him from calling out, but why would he call out anyway; to bring the pain of maybe death upon his shoulders in an instant? No. He wasn't even going to _attempt _to call out.

The doors soon opened and a shadowed figure walked inside. His pace was quick and determined and Merlin didn't like it.

"_Get up_." Stephen spat. The warlock made no move to get up. "I said _get up_!" He snarled, picking Merlin up by his neck and throwing him across the room. Merlin winced when the back of his head hit the stone pillar. The gag was knocked from his mouth and he groaned, cracking his jaw into place. "Can I have the use of my arms back first?" Merlin asked as he struggled to get up. Stephen snarled and strode forward, kicking Merlin in the ribs.

"I take that as a _no_." Merlin muttered. "What do you want this time?"

"We want strategies of Camelot, their defences, their advantages, secret gates and the number of their army. Want to tell me any of those?" Stephen asked, raising an eyebrow. Merlin sighed, it was the same as always. Tell them no. Instead, Merlin decided to live a little and bet the wrong card. _Merlin and his runaway mouth!_

"Yes, they do not attack straight away, they use catapults and fire, swords and shields, arrows and crossbows. They have walls as defences and their advantage is me. Their disadvantage is magic; there is a secret gate under the pond, right in the center and a secret gate at the top of the castle. The number of their army….is big." Merlin smirked, pleased with his answer. Each answer given, the redder Stephen's face got. By the time Merlin had finished, the Prince was looking like a beetroot.

"You brat!" Stephen growled, lunging forward. He took out his dagger and dived for Merlin's arm. Merlin was not quick enough. The dagger embedded and Stephen fell to the ground, dragging the dagger as he did so.

It felt like fire. Merlin screamed, willing his magic to stay down. He didn't want to die because of his own doing. The prince of the North East chortled as he watched Merlin deal with his pain.

"You will think the next time you speak. Or next time it might be your throat."

"Nonsense, Stephen. We need to keep our little magical pet for other things, like destroying Camelot." Morgause chilled the room with her voice as she strode in. It still had its misty sound, and it was beginning to put fear into Merlin's mind. "You will take him back to his cell and you will give him this potion. That should help him and his pain a bit." She cooed.

"No, I'm not taking any potions." Merlin spat. "I will deal with my pain. I'm not a coward."

"_Take him_. And come back to me when he has taken his potion. And he _must _take it." Morgause ordered Stephen.

"Yes, Morgause." Stephen bowed before lunging at Merlin for a final time. Grabbing Merlin's waist, he swapped, deciding to drag the boy by his arms.

"Good night, Merlin," Morgause cooed, "Farewell to your dreams. And say hello to _Arthur _for me." She laughed her horrible laugh, before the wooden doors swung shut.

**ARTHUR**

"We can reach the castle by nightfall if we can hurry up!" Arthur shouted down to the Knights who were struggling up the half a mile incline. They had been walking for ages, but Arthur was determined to save Merlin.

"I think that you will find that your knights don't do hills, Princess." Gwaine muttered from the group.

"And if there was to be a war on a hill, Gwaine?" Prince Arthur asked.

"Well thank the lord that there won't be a war on a hill." Gwaine said.

"Just hurry up, Merlin's life is at stake." Arthur spat. Straight away, Gwaine was up the mountain, waiting to go on. _Yep, _Arthur thought, _that got him to shut up_.

**(TIME BREAK)**

Nightfall had risen quickly, and the knights and prince descended on the castle. They were all tired, and aching from the long journey with no rest and little water. It was filled with adrenaline and determination, to save their friend.

"The problem is, there are too many of us here. If we were to go into the castle, we would be spotted straight away." Arthur said as they sat around a very small campfire, just next to the castle. "We need to think this through, we just want to get Merlin and get out of here."

"I'm going with whoever is getting Merlin; there is no question about it." Gwaine said as he stood up, glaring at everyone- the look clearly saying 'do not try and say otherwise'.

"Very well, Gwaine, you come with me. I need two knights to go and get some horses." Arthur smirked at the thought of stealing horses.

"I can do that with Elyan." Sir Leon spoke forward.

"Of course, then that just leaves you Percival. You can help me and Gwaine get into the castle." The strong knight nodded his head and stood up.

"Well let's get this plan into action." He said.

**MERLIN**

It hurt so much, to know that your closest friends actually hated you. Merlin cowered in his cell as he heard the familiar footsteps come forward. The jingling of keys unlocked the door of his cell and walked in. He didn't dare look up.

"Are you going to betray Morgause or Stephen?" The menacing voice asked sourly. Merlin said nothing. He didn't want to hand his powers over. Another pair of boots walked in and stood still in the middle of his cell.

"Merlin, do not do this. You will not only betray Camelot, you betray yourself." The voice snarled. "And I will never forgive you." It spat.

"Arthur." Merlin whimpered. "Arthur, I'm sorry. It hurts Arthur. It hurts so much." Merlin whimpered as the tension rose in the air.

"Gwaine, I will never betray Camelot. Never!" Merlin tried to hiss. Then there was a roar of anger and a scream of terror as Merlin tried to block the punch that came to land on his stomach. However, as it was about to reach him, it disappeared, Gwaine disappeared. And so did Arthur.

Half an hour passed and a guard walked in. Merlin, scooted back as far as he could, but the guard caught him and forced a potion down his throat, and Merlin's mind began to clear, his body began to relax.

"You, chain him." Came Stephen's voice. Merlin didn't even try to protest as rough arms dragged him and chained him so he was facing the wall. His shirt was roughly ripped off him and he shivered from the cold.

A crack landed upon his back, and he grunted from the surprise from it. The pain was nothing compared to what was going through his mind. After about the 5th whip on his back, he began to realize how much pain the whip was causing him. On the 7th crack, he let out a small scream. His screams began to get louder and his vision started to black. His back was burning and numb. He could feel the blood running from the welts, and his eyes began to water.

"Call this revenge for my castle your pet dragon blew up. Now, are you ready to surrender? Are you ready to hand yourself over and defeat Camelot once and for all?" Stephen asked. All Merlin could do was laugh bitterly.

"The Emrys, surrender? I think not. I will _never _betray Camelot. I will never betray Arthur." Merlin hissed.

"Very well." Stephen hissed back and one outstanding crack sent him into oblivion.

**ARTHUR**

Screams went all the way around the dungeon. Arthur flinched, realising it was Merlin who was screaming in pure agony.

"This way." He called to Gwaine, who was looking very menacing behind him.  
>"I'm going to kill whoever is doing this to him." Gwaine snarled.<p>

"Of course you are. But you are going to hide right here until the person has passed us so we can get Merlin to safety, understand?" Arthur's temper was rising as his own anger rushed through him. A flaming torch got bigger and Arthur watched as a shadow on the wall got bigger…it was coming this way.

"They're coming. Now stay put." Arthur hissed. His eyes widened in horror as he watched as Prince Stephen strode through the corridor, looking smug, holding a bloodied whip. When Stephen was out of sight, Arthur darted out and walked the way the enemy had come from.

The knight and Prince of Camelot walked until they came across a shadowed, lonely cell at the end of the last corridor of the dungeon. Arthur froze, it was too quiet. He walked forward and saw a huddled figure in the corner of the cell. The floor was covered in blood and that sent shivers down both the men's spine.

"Merlin!" Arthur called out as quietly as he could. He leaned on the door and the door miraculously swung open.

"Merlin!" Arthur called again as he rushed in. He crouched before the shivering boy who was half conscious. Merlin's unfocused eyes flew wide with fear when he saw Gwaine.

"Get back. Get away from me! Don't come near me! Please, leave me alone!" Merlin whimpered.

"Shush Merlin, it's only Gwaine and me, Arthur." Arthur tried to sooth.

"No, No, I won't betray Camelot! I won't let you have my power!" Merlin cried out before the pain became too much. His body went limp and his head dropped onto the stone floor with a soft thud.

"MERLIN!"

**Sorry for the long wait guys, I have had so many exams before xmas it's unbelievable, can you forgive me? I made it extra-long for you too! If you count half a page anyway :D . Thanks for bearing with me. I can't promise next Sunday, I will try for earlier but I doubt it. I will see you all later, please review, even if it's for a last time?**


	10. Know Your Enemy

**Backfire: Chapter 9 Know Your Enemy**

**Hey guys, yes, it's the next chapter of Backfire. I think, if it wasn't for me having OCD about completing stories, this story would have been abandoned by now, but I hate leaving things unfinished. So, thank you to those who have stuck through this story, but I have now decided that after this story, there will be no more stories based on Daily Interference or Backfire. However, I have decided that I LOVE Merlin whump so you can expect another Merlin whumpy story from me in the future :D…of course with a twist…which Is a surprise!**

**Backfire: Chapter 9: Know Your Enemy**

**GWAINE**

Since Arthur and Gwaine had rescued Merlin from the castle, the knights, prince and injured manservant had rode with their stolen horses, as far as they could go before they had to stop. Merlin was in too much pain and his wounds had to be seen to.

Gwaine sat with Arthur on the other side of the camp. The two could not get near to Merlin without the boy panicking, so they had to leave looking after to Merlin to the rest of the knights.

"I swear I'm going to go back to that castle and kill them two for doing this to Merlin, why would they do this to him?" Gwaine asked, angered by the thought of Merlin being so weak, so badly injured. Arthur sighed and turned to Gwaine.

"You can't go back to the castle. If you go back you will be killed on sight. There will be knights, guards and whatever else Stephen wants to throw at us." Arthur paused before turning to Gwaine. "I'm going to tell you something that Merlin is probably going to hate me for. But you must swear down, on the love of Camelot that you will not tell anyone, and I mean anyone, of this, got it?"

"Got it, now tell me." Gwaine replied.

"Merlin isn't just the normal boy you see. Merlin…Merlin is a warlock. He was born with magic, so he did not choose it, magic chose him. That's why Stephen is after him, because with Merlin's power he can do anything.

"Merlin is also…the last Dragonlord. He can command the last dragon, Kilgharrah, so there's another reason he would want to use Merlin. But Merlin, no, he would never betray Camelot. He said to me, on his first year in Camelot, that he would happily serve me to the day he dies. He's not a knight Gwaine; he doesn't deserve such a responsibility." Gwaine smiled, this news, his best friend was a powerful sorcerer.

"Do you know what his druid name is?" Gwaine asked.  
>"Druid name?" Arthur asked in confusion.<p>

"Yes, druid name. I guess not. Well, if you are talking the truth that Merlin _is _a warlock, well, warlocks are rare, very rare. There were these stories that would go around taverns, talking about the Emrys." Gwaine explained.

"Emrys?" Arthur asked again.

"Yes, Emrys. He's supposed to be prophesied to be the greatest, most powerful warlock of all time, to help the Once and Future King. Arthur… that is you." Gwaine smirked. "You have Emrys at your side." Arthur was surprised. He'd never thought that his idiot warlock would be destined for something big.

"And to me, that Stephen guy, he looked like a fool to me. I don't think he would know what he was doing with that amount of power." Gwaine said.

"He is a fool, a very big one. That's why I'm thinking he's not alone in this. He has an ally. I just want to know who." Arthur sighed.

**(CAMELOT)**

**ARTHUR**

They had got back to Camelot a day ago. Everyone was tired and anxious. When they had been on the boat, Merlin let neither Gwaine nor Arthur near him. His two closest friends were more like his two closest enemies. His back wounds had been treated and wrapped, and unsurprisingly healing quickly. Arthur knew it was his magic, helping him.

On the day they could get off the boat, Merlin was up and walking carefully and slowly, but he still seemed to be in pain. Arthur had walked over to Merlin, to offer him some help, but Merlin had quickly moved out of his way, trying to hide behind Percival. Arthur had never felt so ashamed, so emotional in his life.

When they got back to Camelot, Gwaine had offered a helping hand to Merlin, to help him down from the horse. Merlin had dismounted on the wrong side, and backed up in the direction of Gaius' chambers, his eyes never leaving Gwaine or Arthur. He was scared, _afraid _of them. Leon had to help Merlin get to Gaius' because as soon as the boy had made it up the steps, he was exhausted and swaying. Arthur sighed, watching him go. He needed to report to his father, to tell him of the loss of Thule.

The next morning had resulted in walking to Gaius' chambers. Arthur was nervous. Merlin had not come to his chambers, but he wasn't really expecting him to. Gaius needed to know, Gaius needed to know what was happening, so he could help Merlin, help Merlin to know his enemy, to help him know who his friends were.

When he had stopped out of Gaius' chambers, he had become too nervous for his liking. He didn't know if he should go in. What if Merlin was up, sitting down and talking to Gaius? He didn't want the boy to have a panic attack at the sight of him. He sighed, and knocked on the door. After several moments of waiting the door opened.

"Arthur! You didn't have to knock, you could have just came in!" Gaius said.

"Where's Merlin?" Arthur whispered.

"He's in his room sire, do you want me to get him for you?" Gaius asked.

"No! I mean, no, I don't want to panic him. I came to talk to you." Arthur said in a rush.

"Come in, sit down and tell me." Gaius said, walking away to his bench. Arthur walked in, glancing at the wooden door at the other side of the room. The prince sat down, waiting for Gaius to finish.

"So tell me, what's bothering you?" Gaius asked, sitting opposite. Arthur winced and looked at Gaius.

"When we went to Thule, Merlin got teleported away from us. Straight away, we went looking for him, me and the knights, but when we found out that Thule had been defeated and was under a new, strict rule, we knew Merlin would be there.

"So, we headed for Thule castle, and sure enough, Merlin was there. He would badly beaten, whipped and half conscious. Gaius, they had chained him, by his neck and by his wrists.

"When he saw Gwaine and me, he panicked. He panicked and lost consciousness. And through the whole journey back, his wounds had healed quickly, the knights were so impressed. But the wounds are still there, but covered in scabs. We checked them yesterday morning. But, all the way back, Merlin never even came close to me and Gwaine. If we went close to him, he would panic and move away, trying to hide behind one of the knights. He won't even talk to us Gaius. He won't talk.

"Gaius, I admit it now, Merlin, I know Merlin, I know his secret, his destiny. Merlin is my greatest friend, my true friend. He treats me as an equal, not as a prince. I'm worried about him Gaius, what's wrong with him?" Arthur asked, his voice almost cracking with emotion. Gaius had listened, and Gaius now knew how Arthur felt for Merlin. Arthur was not afraid to hide who his true friends were anymore. He would not hide inside of his pride.

"If what you are saying is right, then all I can say is that Merlin has been given a potion to make him hallucinate." Gaius said.

"Can you help him?" Arthur asked, a knot of dread settling in his stomach.

"I can talk to him, try to make him see the real world again, but he will still need to learn to trust again." Gaius explained.

"Oh okay then. Thank you Gaius." Arthur said, smiling a little. Gaius nodded back and turned to face the wooden door as sounds could be heard from the other side of the room.

"I've got to go, Gaius. I don't want him panicking because I'm here." Arthur said as he stood up and quickly left the physicians chambers.

**(Time Break)**

Arthur sat inside his chambers that night, staring into the fireplace. He had done nothing today; his father had allowed him a few days off to recuperate from the long journey. So all day, he had sat inside his chambers, reading reports while a servant ran in-not Merlin- to clean his chambers and to change the sheets on his bedding.

Then suddenly, the door opened. It wasn't a servant, servants knock. Arthur looked towards the door when it quietly clicked shut. The Prince was surprised when he saw Merlin standing there, looking less scared than he did for the past few days. Slowly, Arthur stood up.

"Hi." He said, a small smile appearing on his face. He kept his hands by his side and watched Merlin, watching him hesitate. Arthur was surprised again when he found himself tangled in a fury of arms- his manservant was hugging him…and sobbing. Forgetting his pride altogether, Arthur wrapped his arms around his friend, murmuring soft words into his ear, trying to get him to calm down.

"I'm sorry." Arthur made out of the quiet muffled voice.

**There you go guys. I hope you liked it. I enjoyed writing this chapter :D. Please review. One more chapter left guys , but watch out for my next story, it's gonna be good hehehe. **


	11. Epilogue

**Backfire**

**Epilogue**

**Hey guys, thanks so much for reading this story, the last of the sequels, I guess. I didn't get as much reviews as in Daily Interference so I guess it just didn't push me as well as the other story did. However, I write the ending now, even though it is late, but please excuse me, I have had a week full of exams. But tomorrow I start my crossover with Merlin and 'A Nightmare on Elm Street'. Tell every Merlin fan you know, because it's going to be the first EVER crossover of Merlin and A Nightmare on Elm Street! Anyways, to the fic!**

Gaius watched as the two boys walked together across the courtyard. It was two months after the incident. Merlin's arm was healing, but healing slowly. What panicked him the most about it was the fact that Merlin could feel nothing with it. Gaius had a feeling that Merlin would lose the use of his arm, of course, that was the worst case scenario. He smiled as he watched Arthur and Merlin talk, but Merlin was still skittish. Merlin talked to no one but Arthur now, and stayed clear of Gwaine. If Gwaine came up to Merlin, Merlin moved as far away as he could get.

**LEON**

I felt sorry for the training dummy. This was now the fifth training dummy replaced after Gwaine's anger and hurt hit him. Ever since Merlin was back, and edgy around Gwaine and Arthur, Gwaine had been really upset.

By the end of the day, the training dummy was in pieces, but it was not an amusing site. Gwaine didn't cry in front of no one. He was a knight, he wasn't allowed to cry. But who said that was true when his friend, his best friend was hurt? But still, Gwaine didn't cry.

Sighing, Leon knocked on the physician's door and walked in. Gaius was sitting at his bench, reading his books.

"Gaius, can I see Merlin?" Leon asked in a whisper.

"Sure, he's in his room." Gaius said, indicating to the door. The knight nodded and walked up the steps and knocked on the door.

"Merlin? It's Leon, can I come in?" There was shuffling behind the door and the door opened. Merlin looked out.

"Hi." He said.

"Can I come in? I need to talk to you." Merlin nodded and allowed the knight into the room.

"What do you need to talk to me about?" Merlin asked in a whisper.

"Gwaine." Merlin's eyes flew wide at the name.

"Wait-you need to know. Gwaine hasn't done anything to you. Gwaine is just like Arthur. Gwaine hasn't done anything. All you have seen, all you have heard. It's been a hallucination. Gwaine is crying his eyes out over this. I just need you to think Merlin. Think hard at all what we have done, as friends, with Gwaine, with Arthur. I know it's hard but you need to remember. Please, just think about it." Leon said, standing up. He smiled sadly before leaving Merlin to his thoughts.

**GWAINE**

Gwaine sighed as he sat in his chair that night. There was no mead, no wine. Just water. He didn't want a drink, not until his friend was better. Not until his friend knew who he was. Gwaine almost through his goblet into the fire with frustration, he was almost tempted to go and kill Stephen for this. The idea was very tempting and after several moments of thinking, his mind was made up. He was going to kill him. He grabbed his sword and was making his way to the door when a knock sounded.

"Enter." Gwaine said. The door opened and Merlin stood there, frozen. His eyes were fixed upon the sword and he was breathing heavy. Gwaine noticed what was happening and threw his sword to the side, making Merlin flinch. Gwaine opened his arms carefully, showing he had no other weapon on him.

"Merlin. It's okay. Gwaine, friend. Gwaine, best friend." Gwaine said slowly. Merlin nodded and stepped forward, hugging Gwaine.

"I'm sorry." Merlin whispered.

"It's alright, I know." Gwaine soothed.

_The dragon smiled, another twist in destiny was complete. _

**There you go, cheesy ending I know, but I can't wait to start my next story! I really can't! The next story might be up tonight. So watch out!**


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